Indian sword blades

Jens Nordlunde · 25th August 2005, 02:37 PM

Hi Rick,

Thanks for the link, interesting to read about the people living on the subcontinent so many years ago, and about their advanced knowledge.
The book is, as mentioned before, ’Nujum al-‘Ulum’ and here is what Robert Elgood writes about it. ‘This Bijapur manuscript dated 1570 in three places, is a well-written document that considers weapons’ lore, predominately Hindu.’
And a bit later something interesting. ‘Much of the information regarding the casting of horoscopes for the various types of weapons is omitted, being largely repetitious, though the author’s obsessive concern with planetary influences should be noted.’
It is well known that Indian weapons often were decorated with talismanic signs, but it is new to me, that they also made horoscopes for the different kind of weapons.
I think the term ‘sword’, here must refer to the blade without the hilt, but it is not quite clear.

Hi Jim,

Thanks for the nice words, and thanks for your research.
It is very interesting that you found this 8 yava (barleycorns)= 1 angula (fingers breadth, 3/4")
12 angulas = 1 vitasti (span, 9"), as we here have both the corns and the finger width, and what more is, it fits very well. ¾ inch by 4 fingers = 3 inch = 7.8 cm. Does it say from where the author Arthur Basham has these information’s?
I have tried to measure some tulwar hilts, and the room for the hand varies from 7 cm to 8 cm. This will give a firm, but not a strained grip.
In the notes to his book Elgood writes: ‘Agba’ (Arabic) = angul (Hindi) = angusht (Persian), all meaning a finger’s width. In south-east Asia the thumb width is used to measure keris blades to decide if they are auspicious.’

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25th August 2005, 02:37 PM	#17
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,718	Hi Rick, Thanks for the link, interesting to read about the people living on the subcontinent so many years ago, and about their advanced knowledge. The book is, as mentioned before, ’Nujum al-‘Ulum’ and here is what Robert Elgood writes about it. ‘This Bijapur manuscript dated 1570 in three places, is a well-written document that considers weapons’ lore, predominately Hindu.’ And a bit later something interesting. ‘Much of the information regarding the casting of horoscopes for the various types of weapons is omitted, being largely repetitious, though the author’s obsessive concern with planetary influences should be noted.’ It is well known that Indian weapons often were decorated with talismanic signs, but it is new to me, that they also made horoscopes for the different kind of weapons. I think the term ‘sword’, here must refer to the blade without the hilt, but it is not quite clear. Hi Jim, Thanks for the nice words, and thanks for your research. It is very interesting that you found this 8 yava (barleycorns)= 1 angula (fingers breadth, 3/4") 12 angulas = 1 vitasti (span, 9"), as we here have both the corns and the finger width, and what more is, it fits very well. ¾ inch by 4 fingers = 3 inch = 7.8 cm. Does it say from where the author Arthur Basham has these information’s? I have tried to measure some tulwar hilts, and the room for the hand varies from 7 cm to 8 cm. This will give a firm, but not a strained grip. In the notes to his book Elgood writes: ‘Agba’ (Arabic) = angul (Hindi) = angusht (Persian), all meaning a finger’s width. In south-east Asia the thumb width is used to measure keris blades to decide if they are auspicious.’